Cleveland Browns: Top 10 quarterbacks of all-time
By Thomas Moore
The Browns have spent the past two decades searching for their next franchise quarterback.
Along the way they have signed numerous veteran quarterbacks to do … something … while the team continues it quest. That list includes Ty Detmer, Trent Dilfer, Jeff Garcia, Mark Rypien and Jake Delhomme, to name a few.
The Browns got it right, however, when they signed Vinny Testaverde for the 1993 season.
Testaverde would spend three eventful seasons with the Browns, first replacing Bernie Kosar as the starting quarterback in Week 4 of the 1993 season.
It was in 1994 that Testaverde left his mark on the Browns as he made 13 starts and helped to lead the team to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth, the team’s first in five years and lone postseason appearance under head coach Bill Belichick.
In the Wild Card playoff game against New England, the offense had a season-high 379 total yards, while Testaverde completed 20-of-30 passes for 268 yards and a touchdown in the 20-13 win.
Since this is Cleveland, however, things ended poorly for Testaverde, as he was benched the following season in favor of the immortal Eric Zeier, one of several moves that the revisionists would like you to ignore when they talk about Belichick’s coaching tenure with the Browns.
Testaverde would move with the Browns to Baltimore for the 1996 season where, of course, he made the Pro Bowl while throwing 33 touchdowns and 4,177 yards (although the Ravens finished the season at 4-12).
Testavede made 31 starts in his Cleveland career, and is currently ninth on the franchise’s all-time list in passing yards (7,255), eight in touchdown passes (47) and eighth in average yards per game (196).
He is also the last Browns quarterback to lead the team to a playoff victory, which alone probably earns Testaverde a spot on this list.
Next: No. 7: Tim Couch (1999 to 2003)